EeToN
Group: Members
Posts: 845
Joined: Sep. 2001 |
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Posted: July 12 2005, 22:16 |
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If you mean only official releases without the fan covers, my answer to the "how many" questions is 176 tracks - as I collect them. Though 61 of them are Moonlight Shadow-remixes and 56 are TB-mixes. Most of these mixes are fanciless dance remixes and I usually dislike those. If I had to name some that worth mentoning, they would include:
Dana Winner: Moonlight Shadow - A structurally improved remix with more buildup and "fantasy feeling". It's a shame that the solo was almost completely left out. But I particularly like how the climax "blows out" nicely at the end.
Koto: Moonlight Shadow - I like Koto music very much. However, I don't think MS fits the distinctive italodisco style well enough. It's still good to hear but it should cause no surprises for those who know what Koto is.
Takako Minekawa: Moonlight Shadow - It's just funny to hear Moonlight Shadow with Japanese pronounciation.  The beginning is nicely restful, the climax is in contrast slightly "pompous" but certainly not unpleasant. However there are some strangenesses here, especially at the end when bells play the main theme on an unusual bass line and the huge drums play the rhythm.
Claudio Simonetti: Tubular Bells - Jazzish interpretation of The Exorcist theme with an ordinary synth solo.
Jack Parnell Orchestra: Tubular Bells Part Two - A piece with A-B-A structure. The A part is practically the orchestral version of the single remix of the Bagpipe Guitars theme. IMHO way more beautiful in orchestration than the same excerpt on TOTB. And then a sudden change to the B part which in contrast a speedy musical-like rework of the same theme. At the very end it turns out that this melody is quite fit in a medieval orchestration, too.
Michel Simone: Tubular Bells - Some piano improvisations upon The Exorcist theme. It's quite mellow to listen to.
Percy Faith: Tubular Bells - Finale and Introduction part in Exposed/Guilty style with full orchestra. The modified introduction melody is quite interesting and works well and despite the old disco-ish feeling, it's not played in 8/8 all the way.
Blind Guardian: To France - It's a quite famous cover but I don't find the power in it, although it's supposed to be somewhere there...
Maggie Reilly: To France - A decent cover with some nice bagpipe sounds and good guitar playing. I miss the climax of the original though.
Crystal: Itt megtalálsz - A Hungarian To France cover, quite popular here in Hungary. In an interview a band member said: "Mike Oldfield quickly allowed us to do this cover, it took only two weeks. When we sent it to him, he said: It's better than the original one." Well, I disagree with Mike in this matter. It's not bad though, quite similar to the original, just a bit more pop oriented in the rhythm. It's really well produced but this one also lacks some more power in the climax part - although not as much as Maggie's version.
Michele Torr: Donne-Moi La Main, Donne-Moi L'Amour - It's a French cover of the 'Sana Rosana' bit of Taurus II. It's almost identical to the original aside from the French lyrics but it goes a bit dull at the end; still it's an interesting choice of doing a cover.
Roger Chapman: Shadow on the Wall (Live) - A live version from an Roger Chapman concert in 1989. While it's still Shadow on the Wall, I really miss Mike's guitar playing and sound.
Zero Nine: Shadow on the Wall (Live) - I don't miss the power here. This is exactly what you'd expect from a metal cover of Shadow on the Wall.
Karel Plihal: Pohádka - A Czech On Horseback cover on a simple acoustic guitar. Again, the choice is strange. As I don't understand the Czech language, the words seem weird but it's definitely fun to listen to.
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If I were music, I would be Enigmatism.
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